Meltdown on Hoth

 Meltdown on Hoth

Author: Jane Mason

Illustrator: Chris Trevas

Medium: Picture book

Publication Date: December 1999

Timeline Placement: 3 ABY

 

After the Rebellion's destruction of the Death Star at the Battle of Yavin, the Rebel Alliance has finally moved everyone in to their new base on Hoth. There's only one problem: it's too dang cold!

Princess Leia assigns the droids to install a new communications unit in her quarters. In the process, C-3PO remarks on how cold it is, which prompts R2-D2 to turn up the thermal heater. Congratulating themselves on a job well done, the two go on about their business, only to be accosted by the bossy Coordinator Droid, who tries to give them menial assignments. C-3PO throws it in his face that they're heroes of the Rebellion who helped destroy the Death Star, then they turn around and march back the way they came, only to realize that they are sloshing through water in the hallway. Princess Leia's room is melting!

The droids quickly fetch a wet vac and a handheld blow dryer and try to salvage the princess's quarters, bickering relentlessly in the process. The Coordinator Droid tries to butt into the room but C-3PO blocks the door and tells him he's urgently needed elsewhere.

Finally, Threepio collapses in despair, certain that they'll never be able to clean up all the water, dry out the princess's wardrobe, and repair the communications unit, but just then Princess Leia comes in and blithely observes that the droids have done a good job cleaning her room. "We thought you might appreciate it," says C-3PO, relieved that Leia is so unobservant.

Of course, this story leads directly into The Empire Strikes Back, where we rejoin the droids still bickering over this misadventure: "Don't try to blame me. I didn't ask you to turn on the thermal heater. I merely commented that it was freezing in the princess's chamber. But it's supposed to be freezing! How are we going to dry out all her clothes? I really don't know."

Fortunately for them, the entire base will soon be overrun with Imperial troops and the Rebels will be on the run, leaving the latest crime of the Wet Bandits undiscovered.